An Alternate History
by SD1o1
Summary: What if Kurt Wagner had had never been separated from his mother? What if he had grown up evil?
1. From the Darkness

Okay, this is my first ever fanfic; review but please, constructive criticism only. I don't really know where this story is going to go, so if you want to give suggestions feel free, but absolutely no slash! It's sick and disgusting! These are children's characters for god's sake! Sorry about that. Back to what I was saying…

Be aware that I have only limited knowledge of the x-men universe, what I know comes mainly from the show, fan sites and the movies so if I make a mistake don't kill me! 

I didn't really know what genre to put this under; it's kind of an alternate history type deal, so if things aren't exactly like in the show, that's the point! Besides, I'm utilizing creative license here.

Oh, yes. I almost forgot (I didn't actually but it sounds good). I do not own the X-men in any way. If I did I would be so rich that 1) I wouldn't be writing this on a fanfic page, it'd be a movie or something, and 2) I wouldn't be explaining this because I'd be rolling around on heaps of money and laughing.

Now that that's out of the way, and without further adieu (except this adieu), I give you my story (Remember, it's my first!).

************************

Heh, heh. Just kidding, I have one more thing to say. I may or may not have personal prejudices against certain characters in the show (laughs evilly). If you don't like how I portray your favorite character, you can write nasty things and strongly worded letters to me 'til your fingers bleed if you like but keep one thing in mind, "I DON"T CARE!" Now here it is for real…

************************

A low hiss, like steam from a pipe escaped the clenched teeth of the otherwise silent figure, betraying his nervousness. 

"What is it," another whispered from the darkness, more of a statement than a question. 

"They're coming," came the terse response.

"Yes." The voice of the woman was cold and hard, but tinged with excitement.  Kurt could feel the sneer in her voice. His tail lashed furiously. 

"Hiissstt…" The woman suddenly beckoned for silence. He saw her hunch down in the moonlight. Kurt turned his face to the narrow road beyond the shelter of the brushy forest in time to see the first flood of yellow headlights illuminate the pavement. He too dropped to all fours with a grim smile and waited. From across the macadam the thump of music grew near. 

"Turn that damn music down," growled the man driving truck, his fingers beating the steering wheel in annoyance.

"Oh come on O'Hara, it's just some music," replied the other man in the passenger seat. 

"That may be but we been listen' ta that god-awful racket for an hour now."

"No we ain't," retorted the smaller man.

"Yeah we have," snorted O'Hara.

"Ain't."

"Have."

"Ain't."

"We have too," shouted the man, who had by now lost all of his patience. He reached over to the radio and forcibly turned down the blaring country music.

"Now what'd ya do that for?" the other yelled, leaning forward in his seat. He quickly turned it up again.

"Mitchell you turn that damn thing down!" When the other refused he again attempted the curb the wailing music, momentarily letting his hands leave the wheel. That was all it took. 

"O'Hara! Watch it!" Mitchell screamed as the truck swerved. O'Hara spun back to the road and instinctively jammed his foot down on the brake. The truck skidded to a halt in the middle of the lonely road.

"Ya damn fool! Why'd you yell like that?! Ya damn near scared the bejeesus outta me!"

"Sorry O'Hara. Just thought…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know." He cursed silently under his breath.

Mitchell's eyes danced with fear, "I…I thought I saw an animal, like a dog, in the road…"

O'Hara ignored him. "Sounded like the tire mighta popped," he groaned, opening the door and heaving himself out. The large man leaned over and began to check the tires of the truck. "Wanna help me?" he snarled .

"Whatever," the other replied reluctantly.

O'Hara cursed again at the man's laziness.

"Hell," cussed the Mitchell as he too clambered from the cab. O'Hara followed his gaze into the pool of yellow light spread by the headlights. There stood a woman, a gun in her hand; a gun pointed directly at the trembling man's head.

"Tch, tch, tch," she tutted with a smirk, "Smells like someone's been drinking."

The men were caught off guard for a moment. Mitchell raised his hands slowly. "Listen lady, we don't want no trouble…"

"Oh, but I do," she smiled, "You have something I want."

As Mitchell sputtered, O'Hara slowly reached behind into his pants pockets and gripped the pistol concealed there. In the black night beyond there was a faint whooshing noise and the smell of brimstone wafted to his nostrils on the breeze. He felt himself sweating as he fondled the handle of the gun.

"Kurt!" the woman shouted suddenly, her eyes darting to the darkness, hand holding her gun steady. 

"It's not here!" came the frustrated response from behind the truck. 

O'Hara acted. Whipping out the gun he fired a shot towards the woman. Her senses honed, the woman dropped out of the way and rolled swiftly into the shadows. Pumping with adrenaline O'Hara spun around to where the other voice had been, but only darkness greeted him. 

"Goddamn," he swore racing to the back of the truck to see if they'd been robbed, and was about to say more when a spinning kick from the unknown enemy laid him low. Mitchell gurgled as the woman appeared, seemingly from nowhere, and pinched his neck dropping him into unconsciousness.

"Kurt!" the woman shouted again, striding to the truck's rear. With another soft 'whoosh' of air they were gone. 

*************************

That's all for now, though there may even be more later tonight. Didja like it? Didja didja?


	2. Off Again

***************************

Umm, I was going to say something at the beginning of this, but can't remember what it was. Poo…

Oh yeah! Thanks to the three people who already reviewed this! Thanks with all my heart! I would give you the x-men but I don't own them! (*Note disclaimer* :)

***************************

Mystique slammed the door in her rage as she stormed through towards the phone in the front entryway. Her mind was boiling, seething, and her face showed it. She snatched up the receiver and angrily punched in a number. The phone rang for a moment and was quickly picked up on the other end. 

"…Hello?"

"Johnston?"

"Yes…who…"

"It's Raven," she paused for a moment, gathering and concentrating her anger.

"…" 

The other line went silent as well. Mystique smiled as she heard a sharp intake of breath.

"May I be safe in guessing that you already know why I've called?" she spat.

"Uh, well you see… about that…"

"Where was it!" she half screamed into the phone, "you said it would be on that truck!"

"Uh…well, the thing is…" the man sputtered.

"Answer me!"

"They changed it, the shipping date. They must have done it overnight. I…I was positive it was being moved last night but they changed it…" he trailed off.

"What?" Mystique asked in harsh disbelief, "Why would they…" But she stopped in the midst of her musing. "You fool!" she yelled, grating her teeth in all out rage, "they changed it because of you! Idiot! They must have overheard you talking!"

"That…that's impossible!" the man stuttered, "They couldn't have! I called you from home!"

"The line must have been tapped you delinquent!" she hissed.

"But, but…"

"It doesn't matter now," She cut him off abruptly, "Where is it headed now? What is the new truck's route?"

There was a shuffling as of many papers, "Uh, it'll be there tomorrow morning. It's on its way to Bayville, downtown Bayville. To the new research facility there…"

Mystique didn't give him time to finish. She slammed the receiver down and hurried to the door, slamming it behind her as well. 

Kurt sighed and unclipped the night vision goggles from his head, dropping them wearily down on his bed, and then flopped down himself. A glance at the clock on the bed stand told him it was one in the morning. He closed his eyes and moaned softly. He was tired, but he knew he couldn't sleep yet. His mother would come for him any moment and they would be off again. He scowled in the dark. Stupid truck men, he thought. Why wasn't the box there? He'd searched the length of the truck but to no avail. A small knot of panic formed in his stomach. What if it had been there and he hadn't seen it? No, no, he reassured himself, if it had been there he would have found it, after all, that's what the goggles were for. He laughed silently at the memory of the fat man he'd toppled to the ground. Even without the goggles on his night vision was good enough to see the dazed look on the man's face as he'd fallen to the asphalt. 

"Kurt!" He jumped as his mother called from below as the door slammed once again.

He ran a hand through his hair and was on his feet again. Immediately he teleported to the front entrance and joined his mother in the long black limo awaiting them there. With a soft crunching of gravel the car pulled out of the driveway and down the deserted road; headed on its way to New York.

*******************

Ha, ha, that's all! I know I'm evil, but I want to keep the individual chapters short and the story going. But I'll make it up. I promise! I'll probably post more later today, and maybe more after that! (Depends how much time I get to write…)

I'm not *entirely* sure where it's going at this point, but I have a pretty good idea. Review! Review!


	3. The Plot Thickens

*******************

I'm back gain! Here it comes! Any second now! Now! Are you reading this? Why are you still reading this?! Read the story!

*******************

The door of the Brotherhood house rattled on its hinges as a person outside pounded ferociously on it. 

"I'm comin', I'm comin'!" shouted Toad as he hopped towards the door. In the blink of an eye his tongue shot out and wrapped around the grimy brass knob, a second later the door was open.

"Uh…uh, Mystique?" he blathered nervously, "Where'd you come from? I thought you was in Pennsylvania…"

"Well apparently I'm not any more," Mystique growled, "so astute of you to notice," she added, looking down at the boy as if he were a puddle of slime mould. 

"Whatja doin' back so soon?" He asked distractedly, shoving a dirty finger in his ear and picking out little bits of scum.

"None of your business," she snapped as she looked past him down the hall, "where are the others."

"Uh, I dunno, probably somewhere around, yo. Like sleepin' er somethin'."

"Well would you please get them?" Mystique asked. Toad seemed to miss the deadly honeyed tone in her voice. 

He turned and yelled up the stairs, "Hey, yo! The Boss lady's back and she wants ta talk!!"

Mystique rolled her eyes, "Todd, you idiot, I could have done that myself."

"Oh, but it's so much more pathetic when he does it," sneered a voice from behind her.

Toad craned his neck in an attempt to see the speaker, "Yo Crawler."

Kurt raised his eyebrows in disdain but didn't answer.

"Did you say something?" called a groggy voice from upstairs.

"Yes, I said if you don't get your sorry excuse for an ass down here in five seconds I shall personally have it flayed!" Mystique responded hotly, rapidly losing her patience.

"It's like four in the morning," mumbled Lance as he descended the stairs in a most ungraceful manner. Behind him Fred and Pietro stumbled awkwardly.

"I am aware of that," she said quickly. Behind her Kurt yawned widely, Toad grimaced at the exposure of his sharp fangs. "There is something I need you to do." She paused, checking that the sleepy boys were listening. "At some point this morning a truck will be entering Bayville-"

Pietro scoffed, "Yeah that's never happened before."

She shot him a look filled with daggers, "It has something very valuable onboard. I want you to stop it. We will do the rest," she finished, indicating herself and her son. 

"Hey! Look who it is! Bluie!" Pietro exclaimed in a glee that dripped with sarcasm.

Kurt scowled and raised his lip in disgust, his white fangs flashing in the dim light.

"Hey! I thought that's what you two left to do," the speedy boy continued, talking so fast that he was unaware of the trouble he was racing into, "What's the matter? Did your little pet fail his mission-" But he stopped there, gurgling as Kurt's three fingered hand shot out and tightened around his throat. Kurt leaned close into Pietro face, his teeth clenched, about to speak when Mystique separated the two. Pietro gasped for air and gave Kurt a murderous glance. Mystique glared at him.

"Keep your mouth to your to yourself and my matters to me." She turned to Kurt and smiled, "You'd better go rest." Immediately he was gone in a puff of smoke, presumably to the palatial bedroom awaiting him upstairs.

Mystique turned back to the exhausted Brotherhood boys. She smiled again, though much more coldly, "as for you," she laughed to herself before shouting with contempt, "Go back to bed!"

************************

"Like, I can't wait to get a snack, I totally missed breakfast today," babbled Kitty. "Uh," she groaned exasperatedly, "Like, who drank the last of the milk?" She glared accusingly at the others in the room around her. 

"Wasn't us," said Multiple as he and his temporary clones raided the cabinets.

Kitty rolled her eyes, "Now what am I, like, going to have with my cookies?" She grabbed a couple Oreos and stormed out of the room. 

"What's with her?" Scott asked as she brushed by him in the doorway. 

"Evan drank all the milk again," the young boy replied as his last clone disappeared with a 'pop'.

"She's probably annoyed that school is starting next week," Jean butted in, "No one's looking forward to summer being over".

"Or the homework," pointed out Evan with a thick laugh, edging past Scott and promptly taking a fistful of cookies. 

All of the teenagers in the room sighed. Summer was drawing to a close, and no one wanted so see it end.

"Oh, well. At least we'll have something to keep us busy, right?" blurted Jean optimistically. 

"Yeah, that'll be great…" mumbled Rogue sarcastically before sulking off to her room. She didn't get very far before she stopped, listening. She turned to the others, meeting their eyes. They had heard it too. 

*X-men* the professor stated telepathically, *Quickly. The Brotherhood boys are causing trouble downtown!*

"We're on it!" Scott answered, both to Xavier and the looks of his teammates.

*************************

TTFN, ta ta for now! Perhaps you might even get more later. Like I said, I'm keeping the chapters short for a reason:

1) I want to make the story last as long as possible

2) It's suspense! It keeps you reading!

If I feel like I won't be updating for awhile, I'll try not to end it so annoyingly :)


	4. Confrontation

***********************

Okay, I have now officially been informed that Nightcrawler can see in the dark. I thought so but I wasn't entirely sure, due to my limited X-men knowledge, so I added the night-vision goggles just to be safe. I shall not ere again! (This statement is not binding by law, some exceptions may apply…)

I can't believe it! I've already had 13 reviews and this fanfic has only been up for what, two days? Keep 'em comin'! I thank everyone who has already sent them! Oh wait! What's that? My e-mail thingy just popped up and now I've had fourteen reviews! Yay! Wow, I bet nobody's reading this anymore!

By the way, I do not own the x-men, nor do I want to own the x-men because in my eyes this disturbing trend of cartoon character slavery has to end. But on with the story…

Whoa, whoa! It's up to sixteen!

***********************

As the bright red convertible reached the crest of the hill an unwelcome sight greeted the eyes of the X-men. Ahead of them on the road a large white semi-trailer was stopped, and in front of that stood a half-circle of grinning teenage boys.

"There they are!" Jean called. Rogue rolled her eyes, "Thank you Mrs. Obvious," she muttered.

The sports car ground to a halt about a block away from the scene. Around them cars honked and people shouted angrily at the holdup. The five teens leapt out of the car and raced down the street, bracing for a confrontation. 

"Remember you guys, watch it. We don't want people hating us anymore than they already do," Scott cautioned.

Fred laughed heartily as a person on the road beyond yelled some obscene thing about mutants and he crunched the front of their sedan.

"Huh, tell that to them," Kitty groaned.

"Where is she?!" Lance asked folding his arms and starting to get aggravated, "We been standin' here for five minutes and she ain't showed yet."

"Yeah but it is kinda fun huh?" Pietro said characteristically fast, "I mean it's not like anyone can move us." He beckoned his head towards the extremely agitated police huddled on the sidewalk. "Hey look there they are!" He pointed up to the top of a four story building where two shadowy figures stood.

"But look who else is here!" Toad moaned as the X-men raced down the center of the road towards them.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the X-Dorks," Pietro sniggered as they halted about twenty feet away. In the cab of the truck the driver slipped quietly out the door, fearing the fresh wave of mutants who had just appeared on the scene.

Lance glanced up at the two on the roof, "Come on…" he willed silently.

"What have we told you about causing trouble?" Scott shouted confidently, hand at his visor.

"Don't know, guess we wasn't listenin'," Toad taunted back.

"Put these on," Mystique whispered urgently as she caught a quick view of the teams facing off below. She pressed a pair of thick gloves into to Kurt's hands. "Be careful," she added as he teleported away.

On the ground the fight had commenced. Pietro had said something particularly nasty about Evan and he, having no self control had launched a spike at his opponents head. Now the two groups went at it with a will, the Brotherhood with little regard to the damage they were causing. As Jean deflected a sewer cover with her powers she turned to Scott, "Cyclops! There's someone in the truck! I don't know where they came from!"

Scott acknowledged her with a nod and regrouped his team. By this point the street was empty of humans and the Brotherhood had been soundly trounced. Fred had been phased halfway into the street by Kitty, Pietro had been knocked unconscious by an optic blast, Toad pinned to the ground by spikes, Lance retreating as his teammates fell. Mystique bit her lip and balled her fists.

Kurt was having trouble finding the box. He searched frantically up and down the dim interior, but found nothing. He swore and started again at the back. Outside somebody hit the truck hard and several boxes fell around him. He was about to swear again when something caught his eye. There, in a far dark corner was nestled a small white metal box. He reached eagerly for it but stopped short. A girl had walked through the wall in front of him! Then again, stranger things had happened…

The girl screamed at the sight before her and promptly dashed back out the way she'd come. 

"There's like, some kind of freak in there!" Kitty panted before fainting.

Now was his chance! He grabbed the box. But before he could move there was terrible crash and a ripping of metal as Scott blew a gaping hole in the side of the truck. Kurt jumped in surprise, but was stunned momentarily by another blast. He felt himself being lifted from the floor by some unknown force. 

Evan wrinkled his lip, "What is that thing?!"

"Better question is, what's he doing here?" Scott exclaimed as he ran to where the dazed individual hung in the air. 

As Scott neared him Jean called predictably, "Hurry up! I can't hold him much longer!" 

"Let me get 'em!" Rogue yelled darting forward. She touched a bare hand to the stranger's face.

Kurt screamed, he had never felt anything like this before. The box dropped from his nerveless gloved hands. Blackness overtook him and he fell.

"God damn them!" Mystique half-shrieked into the wind.

Scott stopped by the unusual creature's side and picked up the box. "What's this-" But that was all the further he got. He sprawled to the ground as the young mutant before him tripped him deftly. The effects of Rogue's touching him had worn off quickly and now he was up. Baring his teeth and howling a war cry he leapt at Jean who stood close by. In a desperate attempt to defend herself Jean raised a hand but was knocked to the ground as the stranger planted his oddly shaped feet squarely into her shoulders, putting the full force of his leap into her body. Evan shot a volley of spikes past her prone figure narrowly missing the mutant as he easy somersaulted out of the way. There was a loud 'bamf!' and Evan was hit from behind by a similar kick. Rogue gritted her teeth as she and the stranger squared off. 

"Ah have your power Blue Boy and I have your thoughts!" She said trying to intimidate him. She blocked the punch he threw and she smiled triumphantly, "Anythin' you can do ah can do better!"

Kurt smiled back, but his was as cold as ice. He had been well trained in the martial arts since he could walk, he was not about to be defeated by some punky girl. The two lunged at each other, Kurt lashing out, Rogue returning his efforts blow for blow. 

Kitty moaned and looked up. Oh man, now that thing is like, killing everyone, she thought to herself. A glimmer of glass caught her eye as a tiny vial of clear liquid rolled past her face. She grabbed it curiously and pocketed it, the professor might like this, she thought. Just beyond it a little white box lay, its lid popped open by the impact of its fall. Just out of her line of sight Rogue yelped as a well aimed blow caught her in the stomach. Kitty had just clicked the box shut again, wondering what it had held when a shadow passed over her. She looked up fearfully and saw the mutant looming over her. She gulped. 

"I'll take that," he demanded not so nicely and snatched the box from her hand. 

In an instant he was gone, leaving Kitty choking in a cloud of brimstone smoke.

Scott groaned and heard his friend coughing. He rubbed the bruise on his forehead. In the distance a car engine roared to life. He was up on his feet in an instant.

"My car!" he wailed stumbling down the road. He saw the blue mutant speeding off in the flashy red vehicle; he was laughing. Shouldn't have left the keys in the ignition, huh, Scott's brain berated. "Shoot." He could only watch as his beloved convertible disappeared towards the horizon. But suddenly it swerved. The driver had vanished, leaving the car on a collision course with a telephone pole. Scott's heart sank as the sickening scream of twisting metal reached him on the summer breeze.

***************************

How are you liking my story ya? Is it being good? Be telling me by reviewing, ya?

If you're lucky you'll get more later tonight!


	5. The Plot Thickens Again

***************************

Question: Okay, does Nightcrawler purr? Because I read in a couple fanfics that said he did but I wasn't sure if it was true. Does anyone know? 

Oh, in case any of you are still under the illusion that I own the x-men, hahaha! Boy are you impressionable! I don't own them you silly people! Hahaha! Do I see gullible written on the ceiling?

*Sigh* Uh, as soon as I wipe away the tears of mirth I'll begin writing again…

****************************

The ride home for the X-men was silent and devoid of the usual joking and good humor that generally followed a mission. Each of the teens sat with their own set of thoughts, none of them smiling; Evan wondered who the unknown mutant was, Jean what he had been doing in the truck. Kitty pondered the contents of the vial in her pocket. Rogue gingerly rubbed her aching stomach and Scott reminisced about his ruined convertible. 

Storm glanced back from the driver's seat of the x-van and frowned. "Children, you must cheer yourselves up."

"How can we?" Scott burst, "We lost! Plain and simple."

Storm shook her head sadly, "No one in the world can win every time."

"Yeah, we were, like, bound to lose eventually," Kitty added sagely.

Rogue sighed angrily. "But it's not like we even got beaten by the entire Brotherhood! It was only one person!"

The van was silent. Rogue folded her arms angrily and stared out the window. She knew all the others were thinking the same thing. Who was the blue mutant?

Kitty was suddenly seized by a pang of guilt. Should she tell the others about the vial she had found? What if it was nothing? Would they be angry at her for stealing? She shifted nervously in her seat.

The van slowed as the large iron gate barricading the Institute creaked open.

Jean looked as though she was going to speak for a moment, then stopped and turned around to face the others, "You know, we only lost because he had the element of surprise." It was a lame attempt at consolation and she knew it, but she felt obligated to try. 

As the van came to a halt in the garage a familiar voice rang clear in their heads.

*Jean, Scott, meet me in the library. Evan, Rogue, Kitty, you should come as well.*

**********************

The professor pressed the tips of his fingers together, deep in thought. Around him the X-men sat tensely on the couches. 

"I believe we should begin with the identity of the new mutant."

All of the teenagers sat up, listening.

"Unfortunately, there is not a clear answer to give." The disappointment in the room was evident.

"But professor, didn't Cerebro pick up his mutant signature?"

"I'm afraid not Scott. This mutant is surprisingly powerful. Somehow he must have known of Cerebro and blocked detection." The professor fell silent again. Rogue moved uncomfortably as his eyes locked with hers.

Jean took a deep breath and began slowly, "Professor, I…I felt the presence of another there-"

Rogue felt her tolerance at the red haired girl wear thin. "Yeah Mystique!" she snapped. The others looked at her questioningly. She averted her gaze, stuttering as she attempted to explain, "Ah, ah touched him. The mutant…"

Professor Xavier's study of her face deepened. Rogue felt increasingly uneasy. Was he reading her mind? She opened her mouth, but the professor interrupted. 

"Rogue I understand if you don't wish to speak in front of everyone. You may go."

She stood and walked hastily from the room, but stopped, resting her hand on the doorframe. She could feel their eyes on her. A halting breath caught in her throat, a warm, salty tear coursing swiftly down her cheek. Then she was gone into the darkening hall.

"What-" Jean asked, puzzled.

"When she is ready." Xavier's tone was quiet and firm. He turned his gaze to Kitty. "Shadowcat, I believe you have something for me."

Kitty jumped at the mention of her name; she had been lost in thought. "Uh, uh…something? For you? Oh…" She reached into her pocket and pulled out the vial, "I think this came out of the thing he was carrying," she chattered vaguely and handed it over to the professor. He held it for a moment, turning it in his hands.

"Good work Kitty. I believe we should give this to Hank to analyze."

************************

Mystique held the small metallic box as if she were a child who had just been given a Christmas present. She opened it eagerly, but her face quickly became livid. 

"Where is it…" she whispered, her face trembling with rage. Kurt narrowed his yellow eyes. He scowled.

"They took it…I dropped it for a moment and…she…it was that girl! She was holding the box!" He leapt up from his seat and paced across the room, his tail lashing angrily.

Mystique was silent. How much trouble had she through to track the pathogen to the laboratory in Pennsylvania, to convince the lab technician Johnston that he must help her, only to have the damn X-men interfere once again in her plans? They had no idea what they were getting themselves into. She glanced at the hunched form of her son. His face burned with a furious passion, but she knew it burned with much more. She could feel his shame; he was blaming himself for losing the precious vial. The insecurity of his soul flashed in his eyes.

"It was not your fault. We should have considered that the X-men would meddle in our affairs."

He bowed his head. "I failed…"

"No. It was not your fault," Mystique repeated firmly. She stood and placed her arms around his shoulders. He stiffened at her comfort. 

"I do not know why they took it, but I do know of a way to get it back…" She smiled in the rapidly descending twilight.

****************************

All of you people who have reviewed, you are my friends! And all of you who have continued to read this without reviewing, you're making me sad   :(   See! See what I mean? Look at what you're doing to me!


	6. Infiltration

*************************

Hey everyone! Feel free to send in ideas for other fanfics I could write, as I have no idea what I'm going to do after this one…

I do not own the x-men. Or the x-women for that matter. Or the x-children, the x-pets, x-grandparents, x-llamas, x-amoebas….

You get the point. I don't own anything that starts with "x". Unless I buy a xylophone. Or a xebec. Or a…Oh never mind!

*************************

 The remnants of a dark dream faded from his minds eye as Kurt was awakened in the dead of night.

"It's time, my son," his mother whispered from somewhere in the blur of reality and unconsciousness. 

"Mmm…" He sat rubbing his head and ran a weary hand through his hair. He been having the dream again, the one he'd had for many nights now; blazing heat, a sudden chill, and then silence, darkness…

"Remember what I have told you, the X-men are not to be trusted. Do not listen if they try to talk to you…Remember, my son…" the soft voice whispered in his ear. "Go now, before they wake."

He nodded groggily and teleported into the forest well beyond the Brotherhood house. Immediately his senses were heightened and his mind cleared. The woods were black around him, illuminated only in patches by the ethereal moonlight. Cold and clear after a light night rain, the air was heavy with the odor of wet leaves. In the distance the windows of the Institute glowed like lamps in the inky darkness.

With a 'bamf' he was inside. The corridors were stained with blue shadows and the rows and halls of doors disoriented him. What had Pietro said? The girl known as Shadowcat had her room on the second floor, to the right of the great staircase, left side of the hall, two doors down. But where was he, Kurt, in the mansion? Cautiously, like a cat scared too many times, he padded along the hall, heading in the direction he felt would bring him to the center stairway. Luckily for him, the end of the corridor opened onto a large foyer where a massive staircase led downwards into the gloom. Two huge lights hung from the ceiling, awkwardly illuminating the intruder as he stepped into their glow. There! Just across the foyer he could see it, the third door on the left side. He began to stride forward but was stopped short by two voices ringing suddenly below him. Instinctively he teleported to one of the lights and shrank back into the shadows of the ceiling. Hanging motionlessly he listened.

"Yeah, I wouldn't put it past her to send someone here to find it. She isn't known for giving up easily." The speaker was a short but burly man with dark hair and a smattering of stubble on his chin, his voice gruff. Surely this was the one called Wolverine. His mother had warned him of this mutant; he was a force to be reckoned with.

"Do you really think she would try? She knows well that this mansion is well protected. Why would Mystique attempt to penetrate the defenses?" The other was a slight, dark skinned woman, but what shocked Kurt was her hair, white as new snow. That's odd, he thought to himself. Yeah look in the mirror his mind retorted. He frowned.

"Puh, wouldn't be too hard now that she's got a teleporter. He could be snoopin' around in here right now." The man peered around himself as if seeking invisible enemies. Kurt almost laughed, what an idiot. He was busy searching the hallway and here he was clinging to the ceiling. But then he heard something that made his blood run cold.

"Wait." The man halted and sniffed around the left hallway. Kurt felt his tail wrap around the light's chain, nervousness overtook him. He bit his lip and swallowed hard.

"There's someone here!" Wolverine snarled. Storm became instantly alert. Together the pair began to scan the foyer. The hunt was on…

****************************

Rogue stared blankly out onto the sea from her balcony. The moonlight sparkling on the water was beautiful, but she couldn't find it in her heart to care. So many thoughts were swirling in her head. School would be starting up again in a week, a fact that had been bothering her for awhile now, though lately it seemed so insignificant. She exhaled deeply. A glance at the clock told her it was almost two in the morning. Sleep had eluded her and now she listened enviously to the soft snoring of her roommate Kitty. Who could she tell about her worries and her sorrows? Would anyone listen to the girl who seemed to do nothing but complain, or would they ignore her; write her off again in their minds? The glimmer of the ocean danced in her eyes but she felt no joy.

*******************

Kurt cursed wickedly as the foyer came to life. Lights clicked on all around him, people seemed to flood into the halls. 

He wasn't called the master of avoidance for nothing, but when trying to hide oneself shadows were friends. The lights made short work of them. It was only a matter of time before they spotted him so he gritted his teeth, closed his eyes and teleported, opening them only to find himself in the room of the girl who walked through walls. But he had not reckoned that she had a roommate…

***********************

Hearing a noise like a small explosion, Rogue spun around in shock, only to find herself face to face with a demon.

Kurt's heart stopped as his eyes locked with the girl's.

The room fell into utter chaos. Rogue screamed. Kurt backed up hastily, eyes wide. Kitty sat bolt upright in her bed, then shrieked as he collided with her bed and fell onto her legs. She wailed in fear, convinced she was being attacked, and lashed out with her feet. Kurt tumbled to the floor but howled in pain as Rogue's shoe came smashing down on his tail. The door burst open and Logan, claws at the ready leapt through. But the would-be thief had vanished again.

The dazed and startled teen materialized in a huge room that appeared to be made entirely of metal. He gazed around himself in wonder, but was not long in staying. A voice rang overhead on loud speakers. 

"Professor! He's in the Danger Room!" 

He decided not to stick around long enough to discover the reason behind its name. He appeared in a kitchen, a bathroom, a huge spherical room, then next to a sleek black jet. Each time he teleported he was haunted by voices and people and shouting. His body was beginning to tire, his thought rapidly becoming desperate. He teleported for what he felt could be the last time he'd be able to manage.

Panting heavily from the chase, he found himself in a medium sized, quiet room, its walls and floors clean and sparkling silver. At the opposite end of the room a large computer screen flickered in the semi-light. He was about to bamf out again when his keen eyes picked up a glimmer of glass on the computer consol. His heart skipped a beat; he had found the vial at last! 

"Figured you'd pop up here eventually bub!" the gravelly voice of Wolverine mocked from the doorway. Kurt spun around and his face collided with the ungloved hand of the pale Goth girl. This time she did not let go so quickly. Kurt fell into unconsciousness; his last image that of Wolverine smiling grimly over him.

************************

Ooooh…suspenseful! That's all for now! Don't forget to review!


	7. Trapped

***********************

Meh. I don't feel like thinking up something witty or silly to say at the beginning of this so think of something funny and pretend I wrote it.

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed! Maybe one day I'll actually get to respond to you!

~~ = thoughts

** = telepathic communication

***********************

"I'm sorry professor but this is all he had to offer, Forge designed it. I know you didn't want it to be this way, but it's the only thing Mr. McCoy says will work."

"I understand Scott. It is…unfortunate…that it had to be done."

"Huh. I don't see th' hang-up. Way I figure it was him that started this. We got a right to some answers and if this th' only way to keep blue boy here around…"

Kurt flinched at the sound of Wolverine's voice. However something inside told him not to move or open his eyes, but to take in all he heard. He was deep within the lion's den and had to tread with the utmost caution. The three men were silent. He wondered if they noted his return to consciousness.

"Well…whenever he wakes up…" Footsteps faded away, and guessing by the heavy footfalls it was Wolverine who had left. 

Feeling slightly more at ease, Kurt turned his mind and his senses to his surroundings. His back was against something hard and cold, as if he had been recently placed there. He wondered how long he had been unconscious. He concentrated on the sounds, but could pick up nothing but the low steady hum of some far away machine. Frustrated by the lack of clues as to his whereabouts he chanced opening his eyes. It took only a second to see the bald old man sitting there, staring intently at his face.

He closed his eyes quickly, hoping by some miracle that the man had not seen, but he knew it was futile. Thoughts shot rapidly through his mind. The other two speakers were gone…should he attempt an escape? He had been warned of the dangerous powers of Charles Xavier, would he be able make it past him? He was just a crippled old man, he didn't look so mighty in person…

"I know you are awake Kurt."

~Shit. What should I do…~

"Kurt, we are not going to harm you."

~Bullshit, you psycho cripple. You'd better not touch me or I'll bite your hand off…~

Xavier shook his head sadly; the boy's thoughts rang clear in his mind. What had Mystique told him to make him so angry, and so afraid? He knew he should have expected this kind of reaction, but it was always difficult to listen to one so young already filled with hate.

Kurt opened his eyes and glared at the ceiling. This room was very much like the room he'd been in when he'd found the vial. He had to be close. If he could just…

"Kurt, I'm afraid escape is quite impossible."

The younger mutant bared his teeth, his yellow eyes flashed angrily in the professor's direction. ~Can't you shut up old man?~ A second thought followed the last, though this time not aimed at him. ~How does he know my name anyway?~

"I know your name because I can read your mind Kurt Darkholme."

The boy turned to stare at him nervously. So it was true. Everything his mother had told him was true. Fear like icy water gripped his heart. He pushed himself upright and slid away, or at least he tried. He cried out in surprised anguish. His wrists and ankles were bound by thick metal bands attached to some sort of metal wire which ran into holes in the floor, greatly limiting his mobility. He snarled at the old man. Enough of this! His mind screamed, that's it, I'm gone! He focused on the forest outside the mansion, but found nothing happened. Panic rose in his chest.

~I…I can't teleport!~

*Calm yourself Kurt. Please, I only want to talk*

At the sound of the professor's voice in his mind the young mutant seemed to go wild. He shrieked an ungodly oath and struggled against his bonds, his yellow eyes seemingly mad with torment. It was if he had been touched with a burning brand.

"Stay out of my head you crackpot!" He lunged at Xavier, fangs bared, stopped short only by the bands that bound him. 

"Please, I only wish to speak."

"I know what you want you freak!" the blue mutant was screaming harshly at the top of his lungs. "You want to get inside my head! You want to brainwash me and use me like you use all your lackeys!"

Xavier recoiled at the vicious outburst. *Logan, I need your help*

His throat growing ragged and his voice hoarse from yelling, Kurt sank into a crouch, his hands covering his head protectively. He whimpered softly. He'd been told what the madman in the wheelchair did to his victims…

"Please Kurt…"

"No…" the teenager wept, his energy drained from his struggle. "Leave me alone…stay away from me…"

"You called Chuck?"

Xavier sighed and shook his head, "I'm afraid there's not much we can do right now… He is unwilling to listen."

"I'll make 'em listen," the burly man stepped forward and hoisted the teenager up by his shirt.

"Logan no! Put him down!" Wolverine reluctantly acquiesced, but not before giving the boy a menacing look. Kurt was trembling from fear and cold and slumped heavily down on the floor, tail between his legs. He sobbed.

"Yer lucky this time monkey." He strode out of the room, obviously annoyed.

The professor rubbed his temples wearily. So much for showing no aggression towards the boy. 

*Ororo, will you please bring some blankets down?*

*Of course professor.*

Kurt was absolutely exhausted. He had no idea what time it was, or how long he'd been in the institute. All he could do was curl up in the pile of blankets the white haired woman had left for him and sleep. 

******************************

This chapter was supposed to be longer, but I'm too tired to write any more. Hopefully I'll be updating again tomorrow. Review!


	8. Release

*********************

Hello. I am writink de chapter now. I vill post et vhen I half fenished. I do not know vhy I ahm tellink you thes. You cannot hear me typink. (that's a Russian accent by the way ;) and *no* it's not mine, just like the x-men are not mine.)

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! Here it is! Oh boy!

CHAPPA EIGHT!

********************

"Muh…huh? Wha?" Kitty felt herself being shaken roughly. She opened her sleep-laden eyelids to see Rogue standing over her, "Uh…whadda you want?" 

"Kitty, ah need a huge favor from you." She talked low and fast like a person conspiring behind another's back.

" 'M tired. Go 'way…"

"You can take a Shadowcat-nap later! Ah need you now!"

"What." It was not a question. Kitty glared half-heartedly at Rogue, propping herself up by her elbows.

Rogue folded her arms. "Ah need you to get me into the room where the prisoner is being held."

"Eww! No way! That guy's like, a total freak! Besides, we're not allowed…" She trailed off, averting her gaze from Rogue's.

"Gawd, don't have a complete spaz or anythin'. For one, the Prof's not here, and two, all ah need is a quick shot 'o your powers…"

"No way. I'm not like, assisting in a violation of the rules. Wolverine'd be like so mad!"

Rogue rolled her eyes and sneered exasperatedly, "What 'e don't know can't hurt 'im! Now come on." She felt confusing emotions rising inside of her. Why did Kitty have to give her such a hard time?

"Unh. Like, no way I'm letting you down there alone. I'll go with to like, make sure that thing doesn't bite you or something." She hopped out of bed and trounced over to the door. 

Rogue hesitated; she didn't really want Kitty with her for this, but then…

The emotions she didn't understand grew stronger. She picked up the sandwich she'd made (after all, who knew how much he'd gotten to eat since last night when they caught him?) and followed Kitty to the elevator.

Kurt hung his head. It felt as if the weight of the world pressed down upon it. The professor could be back at any moment. He'd scared him away once, but he didn't feel he he'd have the strength to do it again. Who knew what would happen to him now. A warm salty tear streaked his fur. His mother had always protected him…she was always the one to shield him from the angry eyes of the world. Now he was helpless and alone, trapped in a mansion with a bunch of psychotic killers. A sob racked his aching body. They would brainwash him and torture him and god only knows what else…

His head jerked up as he heard the sound of muffled talking outside the door. The boy swallowed heavily and braced himself for what was going to come.

"Are you sure about this Rogue? I mean, that thing is dangerous! I heard it tried to rip out the prof's throat last night!"

"He has a gender ya know." She was really starting to get annoyed by Kitty.

"Who? The Professor? Whatever. It's still dangerous." They stopped outside of the thick metal door sealing them off from the small unused lab where the mutant was being held.

"Well? Ya gonna let us in or what?"

Kitty took a deep breath, grasped Rogue's hand and phased through the door.

Kurt's heart was pounding, he needed a plan. He glanced desperately around the room, but there was nothing to aid him in his plight. The boy was shocked to see two girls step through the door without opening it. His heart stopped completely as he recognized the skunky haired one. He scrambled backwards on all fours as far as he could before his bonds halted him.

"Whoa, easy now. Ah'm not here to touch you." Rogue offered quietly.

Kitty hung back, peering at the stranger with curiosity from over the other girl's shoulder. He didn't look so scary now, she thought. Well, I guess he does still a bit. She laughed to herself, what's with the tail and the fur? He's just a skinny little freak, that's all. But she didn't get any closer.

Rogue sat on the floor before the boy. She smiled sadly and pushed the plate forward, "Thought you might want somethin' to eat." 

The food filled Kurt's ravenous eyes. He was starving, but could he trust her? The girl looked away and fiddled with a lock of white hair that fell over her eyes.

"Go on, it's not poison."

It was all the incentive he needed. He leaned forward and grabbed the sandwich hungrily, bolting it down in oversized pieces. 

~Yikes, what freaky hands. ~ 

Rogue shook her head angrily, trying to force the unwanted thoughts out of it. She peeked up and found him staring at her face, and shifted nervously, 

"Guess ah should've brought more, huh." Her voice sounded very sad, Kurt noticed, why? He furrowed his brow.

"Like how much longer is this gonna take? Besides, the sign says you're not supposed to feed the animals."

Rogue saw the boy flinch visibly at the insult. Anger swelled inside of her.

"Kitty wha can't you ever just shut up!" she spat.

Kitty ignored her, but Kurt hadn't.

"What do you want?"

Rogue spun around at the sound of his soft murmuring.

"Ah…ah just wanna talk."

"Yeah right, and so does your professor." His tone was quiet and distant, "why won't you people just leave me alone."

"Well…" Rogue took a deep breath in preparation for what she was about to say, "Kurt…"

His head rose at the mention of his name.

"Kurt ah'm your sister."

The mutant's jaw dropped. Kitty suddenly became very interested in their conversation.

Rogue saw him searching for an explanation, his face was troubled and mistrusting, so she took another deep breath.

"Ah found out that Mystique was my adoptive mother a couple'a weeks ago. Then, the other day when ah touched you, well, ah absorbed some of your memories and…" she fished for the right words, "And ah found out that you were Mystique's son." Seeing his blank expression she fumbled on, trying to make him understand, "Ah mean, it's not like we're blood related or anythin' but I thought maybe, well I thought it, you know, gave us sorta a connection, you know…"

Kurt's yellow eyes were fixed on hers. How could this be true, an X-man his sister? 

"I, I don't know-" he stumbled.

The three teens jumped as one as several voices echoed down the hallway outside. Kitty's eyes grew wide. 

"We gotta get outta here!"

Rogue leapt up and made for the door but stopped and turned to her adoptive brother. 

~You can't leave him here like this; you can't leave him in shackles. ~

She bit her lip. 

"Kitty?"

"What-" the younger girl spun around but yelped. Rogue pressed her uncovered hand on her arm for a moment then rushed back to the mutant on the floor. "Like, what did you do that for!" Kitty cried.

Before she knew what was happening Rogue had phased the boy's arms and legs through the metal bands. 

"Rogue are you nuts?!" Kitty shrieked.

***************************

Bwuhahaha! No more 'til later! I might get a chance to write the next chapter tonight but don't count on it. As always, review! 

Oh, by the way, in case you're wondering, Kurt doesn't have a German accent because in this story he wasn't raised in Germany. It's not cause I'm lazy ;)


	9. Escape, Sort of

*******************************

Sorry I didn't update yesterday but I didn't feel like writing, what with four papers, two tests, a presentation and about five hundred pages of reading looming over my head and all. There I said it.

I know I must be terribly computer illiterate, but what does AU stand for? Does it mean Alternate Universe? Just wondering.

Um…yeah. I don't own x-men. What I *do* own is a lot of other characters that are like five bazillion times cooler! :o

That said…

*****************************

Kurt focused all of his being on the lab where he'd been captured. As he squeezed his eyes shut he caught one last glimpse of the girl called Rogue, looking disappointed and confused. Then he teleported.

In an instant he was in the half-lit room, and there on the desk lay the vial. He dropped to all fours and dashed to it, this time he would not fail. His heart leapt, it was within reach! He snatched it up and prepared to leave the accursed mansion once and for all. But a large heavy hand landed on his shoulder. The boy spun around and was flabbergasted to come face to face with a huge mutant covered in blue fur. A strangled gurgle of surprise issued from the boys throat. 

"I'm afraid I cannot allow you leave with that pathogen." The elder's tone was gentle but very firm.

Kurt bared his teeth and growled. To his surprise the other mutant growled right back.

"Two can play at that game, my little thief." The massive ape-like creature chucked.

"You can't stop me," Kurt sneered.

Beast shook his head sadly, "I doubt you even know what it contains."

Kurt ducked out from under Beast's hand and backed away, but lingered, his curiosity had been aroused. Even his mother had not told him what the vial was. The teenager cocked his head slightly, questioningly.

"That vial contains a newly isolated virus known only to the lab that discovered it and as yet unnamed. The strain is derived from a highly contagious and deadly disease you may know as the bubonic plague."

Kurt's eyes widened and his tail twitched spasmodically.

"This strain has been modified and enhanced to such a degree that it is no longer dangerous to humans, but it is, however, toxic to mutants." Beast watched the reaction in the younger boy go from cautious to frightened, his hands had begun to tremble. "It targets the nervous system first, secreting a toxin that essentially inhibits the function of the x-gene. Then it moves on to the respiratory and pulmonary systems, killing the victim within days. You see, if that virus were to be introduced into the outside world, a world where it does not currently exist, it would wreak havoc upon the mutant community."

He felt weak in the knees, his mouth was dry. Here he was, Kurt Darkholme, holding one of the most deadly diseases known to man in his hands. His resolve faltered. What did his mother want with it?

"Please Kurt. Give it to me."

He stretched out his hand slowly, as if the boy were a wild animal on the verge of bolting. The teen stepped back.

"Don't do this Kurt. Give me the vial."

Just then the door to the lab burst open and Wolverine lunged for the small blue mutant. Before he could think Kurt teleported and found himself on the quiet outskirts of the grounds. It had been an instinctive reaction and he half regretted it in light of the knowledge he had gained, but he wasn't about to go back. The big oaf was probably lying to scare me, he reassured himself as he stuffed the container into his pocket. 

Evening was settling over the mansion, and though it was summer and they should have been well populated with birds the trees were ominously silent. A stick cracked in the woods beyond him. All of Kurt's senses were instantly on alert as he cast his gaze suspiciously around the darkening trees. There was someone out there; someone was watching him from the shadows. A sudden overwhelming fear washed over him and he began to run, trying to shake the feeling that he was being pursued. His heart was pumping; he strained his arms and legs, urging them on to greater lengths by thoughts of an unknown foe.

With a high pitched metallic whistle something sharp buried itself into his back. He stumbled and crashed into the thick brush sending leaves flying in a cloud around him. 

~Get up, get up! ~ His mind screamed.

He staggered upright and stumbled forward a few paces, dragging his tail which had rapidly become numb. Limbs began to sag as they too turned leaden. Groping desperately for the dart in his back he lost what remained of his balance and fell gracelessly to the loam. 

~What's happening to me? ~ His thoughts were desperate.

Eyelids heavy, mind slowing. Sleep. He struggled to retain consciousness.

"This the one?"

"Yeah that's it."

"Damn mutie."

A hard voice sniggered as blackness overtook him.

"Think he's got it?"

"Huh. He will soon."

The two voices laughed eerily in the fading light.

**************************

Okay, I know this is short and bad but I've lost pretty much all ambition to write. Buh. Send reviews. Maybe it'll renew my desire to finish this story.


	10. Missing

**************************

Okay, I know this is short and bad but I've lost pretty much all ambition to write. Buh. Send reviews. Maybe it'll renew my desire to finish this story.

*****************************

I don't feel like writing any silly accents or disclaimers 'er nuttin. I'm not a machine you know!

I don't own the X-men. I know. It's a shock.

Here's the magical key to weird symbol thingies:

** = telepathy

-- = intercom

~~ = thinking/thoughts

"" = talking, duh!

:*O = guy with a spider on his face

*****************************

"Stop! Stop this raht now!" Rogue threw down her com-device. 

"Whoa, whoa. What's going on over here?" 

"Rogue's like totally spazing out again Cyclops," Kitty said in a huff.

"Why can't we ever have a normal training session," Scott mumbled, his hands massaging his temples.

"How can we when you keep using ma brother as a target?!" Rogue shouted back.

Kitty glanced at the simulated form of Kurt they had just encountered. A chill ran down her back.

"Rogue. We have to be prepared for the unexpected. We have to be ready for whatever Mystique might throw at us and right now our biggest threat is him." He pointed savagely at the demonic looking hologram. "We've already been beaten by him once; we can't let it happen again."

Rogue completely ignored his attempts at reason. "You don't understand! You couldn't possibly know how ah feel!!"

"Rogue, we know what you're going through. We know how hard this is for you. Please don't make it harder," Jean pleaded.

"Yeah. You like, could have made it a lot less hard for us all if you hadn't like, let him go…" Kitty muttered to herself.

"You have no idea what it's like fahtin' your own brother!" Rogue yelled and ran from the Danger Room.

Scott folded his arms and sighed. Jean glared at Kitty.

*********************

-Scott Summers, please report to the principal's office immediately.-

The nasal voice of the secretary was shrill and metallic over the intercom. Scott gulped as he walked slowly down the empty hallway. It was only the first day of school, what could he possibly have done already?

*Scott, what happened? * Jean asked telepathically.

*I dunno Jean, I'll sort it out. *

*Just be careful…*

*I will. * He answered her bravely, but inside he didn't feel the slightest bit of confidence.

~Principal Kelly hates me. What the hell can I do? ~

Trying his best to look as innocent as possible, he opened the door to the front office.

"Mr. Kelly is waiting for you dear," the plump secretary bubbled, motioning him to that most dreaded of rooms: the principal's lair. 

He stepped into the darkened office and waited. "Hello?"

No answer.

"Principal Kelly?"

No answer.

"Huh." Scott shoved his hands into his pockets. Hadn't there some notice about the principal being away for the first couple days of school? 

The door burst open behind him and Principal Kelly, looking harassed and angrier than usual hustled through and quickly took a seat at his desk.

~Guess he got back early. ~ Scott dismissed the matter.

"Uh, you wanted to see me sir?"

Mr. Kelly shuffled a few papers around absentmindedly and rose, his hands behind his back.

"Yes Scott. I've been concerned about several things and I wanted to discuss them with you."

Taken aback by Kelly's friendly, almost paternal tone, Scott felt a tiny twinge of suspicion in his gut. One of the mottos he lived by was, 'know thy enemy' and he knew Principal Kelly better than to think him capable of a fatherly conversation with a mutant.

"Uh…yeah. What about what sir?"

"Well, you see…" The older man sidled towards Scott. 

Now Scott was feeling very uneasy.

The Principal placed a hand on his shoulder, "It's just that…"

The grip on Scott's shoulder suddenly tightened. He grabbed Kelly's arm in an attempt to remove it but the man slammed him backwards into the wall. Hard.

"Mr. Kelly!" The teen yelled loudly, hoping the secretary would hear him.

An evil sneer spread across the man's face. His hands shot to Scott's throat and began to tighten.

"Mr. ….gugh…what…grlgh…" His eyes widened in shock as the form of Principal Kelly began to dissipate and reform. Replacing him stood Mystique. She curled her lip in disgust and dug her fingernails painfully into his neck.

"Where is he," she hissed, loosening her grip enough to let him speak.

"What? I don't know what you're talking about."

Wrong answer. Her eyes blazed with contempt and her fingernails sank deeper. 

"Where is my son!" She was almost screaming. 

"I don't know…guck…" The fingers tightened.

"Liar." She whispered it into his ear, so coldly he felt himself shiver.

"He escaped just under a week ago. We haven't seen him since." Scott tried to say calmly, "The professor's been watching for him on Cerebro but there have been no traces," he added for good measure, as if to prove his point.

A maniacal look had entered her eyes. She kneed him the stomach and he gasped at he pain. Hands over his abdomen, she let him sink to the floor, before she grasped his hair and shook his head viciously, then hit it against the wall.

For almost a week she'd searched for her son. She'd hunted the forest for him, called to him, cried for him, and still he was lost. Now all of her fury surged out of her and into the unconscious form of Scott Summers. An unearthly scream of sorrow and rage escaped her throat; she kicked him again and again and again. Her fury at the world seemed to consolidate into passionate and terrible hatred for the teenager.

After a minute her psychotic energy was spent, and she panted heavily. She frowned and straightened her shoulders, re-assuming the form of the secretary, and then walked casually from the office, leaving someone else to discover the beaten and bloody form of the X-man.

**********

Burning white light consumed his vision. He winced and recoiled into a corner. The air was thick with the smells of chemicals and antibiotics. He moaned. All of his body ached dully, it hurt. How long had he been here? He sobbed and huddled against the stainless steel wall.

"Has the final sample been prepared?"

"Yes, but I want to run some more diagnostics and tests before we introduce it to the subject."

The woman's voice was unemotional and flat. Kurt winced at the sound of the metal door opening. Strong hands seized him and he was dragged from the warmth of the room into the white-hot light.

*****************************

Oh, yeah. Thank you, all of you people who have reviewed! :P


	11. Taking Action

*************************

Ahhhhhhhhh!

Almost seventy reviews! Yeah!  *o*

I know it's been a *long* time since I updated (like three days, oh my god!) but I'm back. I had like totally seven hundred seventy eight million things to do (it's national exaggeration day). Gee. I really don't know where this fic is going and I also know no one is reading this.

Here's the magical key to weird symbol thingies:

** = telepathy

-- = intercom

~~ = thought

**********************

"Like, good riddance I say." Kitty flipped her hair nonchalantly, "He was like, totally a freak." 

"No more so than you pussycat!" Rogue snapped back, "What makes you think that just 'cause he looks different he's an animal?"

"Uh, well, let me think. Like, it might be the fur or something"

"Whatever. I don't care what you guys say, ah'm going to find him." The teenager slung a small duffle bag over her shoulder. 

"What's that supposed to mean? You can't just like, leave!"

"Watch me." Rouge slammed the door behind her. 

"Don't you like, even care what happened to Scott?! Your 'brother' is like, one of the bad guys!" No response. "I'm like totally telling the professor!" Kitty yelled after her, and still there was no answer.

************************

"Lay still."

Many hands forcibly restrained him. The chrome table was hard and cold against his back; lights glared. All around him people were moving, he could feel their eyes.

"How many tubes?"

"Make it three."

A sharp prick. The blood, still hot rushed into the tubes. How many times had they taken his blood now? Ten times? A hundred? Kurt simply moaned. What else could he do.

"I said lay still."

There it was again. The voice of the woman, as gelid as the table on which he rested. A hand descended on his chest.

"His heart rate's up."

"Not surprising," snorted the woman, "With you and all of them in here? I'm lucky I get any work done."

Tight straps wound around his wrists and ankles. He struggled weakly, but to no avail. 

"You sure you're okay in here alone McKenzie?" 

Kurt blinked his eyes against the light; he saw the silhouette of the woman nod. There was a shuffling of feet and the Others filed out. The Others had no names, only voices and hands that brought pain.

"Ch…disgraceful." A small blanket was draped over him. "No reason he has to be naked."

The woman called McKenzie was the only one who spoke to him. Her voice was stony, but at least she talked…

"What's going to happen to me," his own voice felt tired and unused, as if it had rusted over. 

Silence.

"I can't really say," the answer was terse. 

"Please."

She was silent again for a long time. He could hear the machines whirring in the background.

"First I have to finish these final tests, and then Pathogen 237 will be introduced into your blood stream. You'll be placed in your holding room for the duration of the incubation period and…and then you'll be moved to the Chamber."

He closed his eyes wearily. His mind had long been preparing itself to die. Still, a pang of fear and remorse rose in his chest. 

"Why?"

"It's research kid. I'm sorry." There was a slight tremble in the way she spoke, "I really am."

His throat was dry as the sedatives began to cloud his vision.

~I don't want to die…~

**************************

The late summer breeze played through the stillness of the green trees. The air was so gently cool; the sun set beyond the hills so picturesque, yet Rogue was fuming. A rock bounced down the path in front of her. She grunted as she kicked it again. Everyone at the Institute expected her to forget about her half brother; they expected her to do nothing. She kicked the rock, sending it careening into the underbrush. And why shouldn't she do something? Why should she hang around just because Scott had gotten himself flattened? She kicked it again with all of her pent up anger.

"Arg! Watch it skunky!" Logan's gruff voice growled out of the scrub.

Rogue nearly dropped her bag in surprise, but feigned indifference.

"What're you doin' here?" she asked curtly.

"I was about to ask the same thing." He stepped onto the path and eyed her suspiciously.

"You tell me. Ah asked first."

~This conversation's going nowhere, may as well tell 'er the truth. ~

"I'm out lookin' fer clues, how about you?"

"Clues to what?" The southern girl asked, sounding distinctly more interested. 

"To the whereabouts a yer missin' brother."

"Have you found anything?" She was by his side now, her eyes looked anxious.

"I've found a few traces of his, uh, unusual scent. Judging by th' smells, though they're old, he went down right around here."

~Really shouldn't be tellin' her this ya know. ~ His mind reminded.

"You mean he…he…" she paused, "Do you think he…got the disease?"

Logan raised an eyebrow, "How do you know about that?"

"Uh, ya know. Ah hear things…" She dismissed it.

"Anyway. No. I don't think he got it. There's no smell of sickness, and that's a smell that can't be missed."

"So what do you-?"

"I found this." He held out a small metallic object.

"What is it?"

"Tranquilizer dart."

She studied the dart, a small feeling of dread creeping over her.

"Listen kid, I know why yer out here. Yer lookin' fer 'im."

Rogue shuffled nervously, "Yeah, ah am."

"Well you'll never find 'im alone."

She looked up into his eyes. Grim determination shone back.

************************

Tune in next week (or whenever), same x-time, same x-channel!

Review!


	12. Pity

************************

I have decided that I *will* finish this story, even if it claims my life…

Heh heh. Little melodramatic huh?

As they say in…well a lot of things, "The show must go on!"

Here's the magical key to weird symbol thingies for people like me who keep forgetting these kinds of things:

** = telepathy

~~ = thought

^ Look! It's an alien face!

************************

What may have been days or even hours dragged on like years. Existence was an unending eternity of minutes; to him it had no beginning and though he knew the greatest finality of them all lay before him, it seemed as if it would have no end. 

The world swam in front of his eyes. It was strange to him; silhouettes of people drifted in and out of his vision, voices came and went, but one feeling remained with him always. Fear. It was an inescapable fear, wholly consuming. What scared him the most were the ethereal movements of the human ghosts, always speaking to and of him, but never caring. He felt very alone.

"It's delirious." 

Arianna McKenzie nodded in heedless affirmation. Unlike her fellows she had ceased to see a test subject, an 'it'. The creature that huddled forlornly beyond the glass of his holding room was a child. And he was suffering.

"Arianna?"

She started at the mention of her name. "Yes Dr. Ralthier?"

"Do you have anything to add to the proceedings?"

Dr. McKenzie looked put out then spoke in a very professional voice. "His temperature spiked an hour ago. It now stands at 102 degrees. The disease has obviously begun to progress beyond incubation."

"Excellent. We shall move the subject into the Chamber." He rubbed his hands together. The cheery tone of his voice made Arianna want to vomit.

She hung behind as the rest of the observers moved away, discussing the subject's vital signs.

~God damn ****'ing hypocrite. ~ She glared at the receding back of Dr. Ralthier. Just yesterday he'd flipped over a tiny spill of Pathogen 237 and now he was reviewing its advancement in the body of a host as if he were a child watching a playground being erected across the street. Suddenly she found herself loathing that man. It was contrary to all she'd been taught, but she could not hold back the overwhelming pity in her heart. 

~He's only a child for Christ's sake. ~

She glanced at the latest printout of his vitals. Blood pressure, up. Breathing, heavy. Heart rate, increasing. Something inside of her was screaming. How could they do this? How could SHE do this? It all felt very, very wrong. 

She turned to face the cold glass and pressed a hand against it. He was curled into a tight little ball in the far corner, clad only in the blanket wrapped around him, his only source of comfort. Arianna was almost glad that his head was buried beneath its folds. The boy had looked up at her earlier that morning. She could not forget his eyes, hollow, devoid of the sparkle of life or thought. They were the eyes of the dead. It was all she could do now to force back a sob. 

******************

"Do you even know where we're going?"

Logan halted and shot Rogue a patronizing smile. "Course I know. Dart says it all." He held out the tranquilizer dart as proof.

"Uh. It don't look like it says anythin' to me."

"That's cause you don't know how to look, kid." He turned it over carefully with his finger. "See this serial number here? It matches the number on the top of that vial. Either someone borrowed a specially made mutant tranquilizer dart to hunt deer or whoever shot this thing was working for the lab the vial was headed to." 

Rogue rolled her eyes.

"And the first 'un don't seem too likely since this dart has the elf's blood and the stink of a laboratory all over it."

"Elf?"

The older man smirked, "He's got pointy ears don't 'e?"

"Your logic is impeccable," Rogue replied sarcastically, "Now can we get on with it?" She motioned down the path that was leading them into town.

"Yeah. I get the feeling we don't got a lot of time left." He pulled on his mask in the darkness. "Better get ready squirt. We'll be there before dawn."

****************

Oh the suspense! Just to let you know, I probably won't be posting tomorrow but I might the next day.

Review! It makes me write faster! Honest!


	13. Prayers

****************

Watch out. This un's a nasty one…

Then again, isn't the thirteenth one always the bad one?

Oh, right. I don't like, own, like x-men n' junk! Totally! OMG!

****************

It felt like his lungs were on fire. He gasped and struggled convulsively against the bonds, fighting for the breath that burned his innards.

Fire. Pain. Unbelievable pain.

It was his dream all over again. But this time it was real.

Kurt screamed as his body began quake on its own.

_4:00 AM_: Fever reaches 104. Light seizures begin.__

Dr. Ralthiers jotted the note down on his pad and yawned.

"Why'd he have to go off at two in the morning," the man mumbled to his assistant, "I was having a good dream too." Dr. McKenzie scowled.

~God damn mother fu- ~ 

"Oh, Dr. McKenzie could you get me a Tylenol? I think I'm working on a light headache. Not a morning person you know." He yawned again.

Dr. McKenzie smiled a smile that, to anyone less dense Dr. Ralthiers, would have said go f*** yourself. She ignored his request and approached the circular glass chamber where the subject lay. Where he would die, her mind reminded itself. He was still twitching slightly from a mild seizure. She checked the monitors. Dr. Ralthiers would be disappointed; she thought to herself, his temperature had gone down slightly.

"Temp's down," she said, her voice flat.

The other doctor sighed. "Can't he just hurry up and expire?"

Dr. McKenzie glared daggers at him. The pretentious bastard.

"Oh, and could you get me a Tylenol?"

Kurt's head felt as if it was going to explode. Before he'd been burning up and now he was freezing, yet sweat coursed down his brow. 

His whole body ached horribly. Pain seared his limbs. Breathing hurt so much. He coughed fitfully and felt something warm on his lips. Blood. He moaned loudly. He was terrified. He began his futile struggle against the bonds holding him to the table.

_4:30 AM_: Temperature down at 102 degrees. Increase in coughing, bloody discharge.__

His dull yellow eyes fixed on her, but she doubted he even recognized her. Dr. McKenzie uttered a silent prayer.

**************

"C'mon hurry up! We're almost there," Wolverine called in the dim light of the coming dawn.

Rogue only nodded and pushed herself faster. Up ahead a fence materialized out of the gloom. She winced at the barbed wire coiled at the top.

"Quick kid, take this." The older mutant stopped just before it and tossed her a syringe.

"What's this for?"

She watched in curiosity as he pulled back a sleeve and stuck a similar one into himself.

Rogue gulped. She hated needles. Who didn't?

"Hank…er, Dr. McCoy's been studying the pathogen the kid stole. He thinks he might'a found a cure, but he's definitely found a preventative." He motioned for her to inject the serum. "Charles gave me a couple'a these before I left. Can't take any chances."

Rogue promptly followed his example. Logan had already hacked an opening in the fence and she hurried through behind him. 

*****************

Pain. Pain. Pain.

He coughed spasmodically and gurgled on his own blood.

~I'm dying. Oh God. I'm dying. I want my mom…~

"Hello Arianna? Can you get me a Tylenol?"

Pain. Pain. Pain.

Suffering.

*****************

Rogue ran like she'd never run before. Tree. Dodge. Run. Tree. Dodge…

In front of her Logan growled. They were approaching a low grey building illuminated in a pool of yellow light. She hated it already. Logan didn't slow down as he came to the wall but howled an oath and slashed right through the wall. 

"We're comin' Kurt." She whispered.

****************

The bright lights of the lab buzzed like a swarm of flies. Dr. Arianna McKenzie watched the patient. He wasn't a subject. No. He was a patient, she told herself. A patient I can do nothing to help. 

He was lying very still. His breathing was slow and his eyes, unfocused, stared off into nothingness. 

~Not much longer now. ~

She shook the thought from her head. She had to do something. She had to.

Her mind made up, she strode to the control panel and pressed the button to open the glass door beside her.

"Hey what are you-"

But an ungodly roar and a terrible crash stopped Dr. Ralthiers in his tracks. Arianna wheeled around as two people leapt through the wall. 

It all happened so fast. One minute Dr. Ralthiers was standing; the next he was slumped on the ground in front of her. It was actually kind of funny. She stared at the girl who had dropped him with her touch.

"You're a…a mutant…" the doctor stuttered.

"Yeah and you're about ta go down." Her voice was angry as Rogue reached her ungloved hand towards the woman.

"Wait. I can help you."

Rogue paused a fraction of an inch away from the doctor's face. As if to prove it Arianna ran into the glass chamber and began unhitching the many monitoring devices attached to Kurt's prone form. Logan made as if to enter.

"No! Don't come near! He's infectious to mutants!" The young woman shouted.

"Don't worry about us lady," Wolverine almost chuckled, "We took our medicine."

Though she still looked worried the doctor allowed him to pick the boy up gently, and Logan wrapped him in a blanket the she provided. Rogue almost cried. He was so thin and he looked horrible. His eyelids were puffy and purplish and blood stained his chest. 

"Kid, call the Institute. Tell the professor we're coming back. Oh, and tell him to clear the lobby and any halls leading to the med ward. Can't have anyone else getting' sick," Logan added gruffly.

Rogue complied.

Dr. Arianna stared at the pair in wonder as they headed out the way they'd come. 

The teenage girl turned as she stepped out the hole, "What's your name?" she asked in a heavy Southern accent.

"Arianna McKenzie."

"Thanks Arianna."

With that she and the man disappeared into the dim early morning twilight.

********************

Please review! You know you want to!

Tell me what you liked and anything you didn't. But let's keep the latter to a minimum…heh heh.


	14. Learning

*********************

0.1134!

(That's 'hello' in upside-down calculator language. ;)

Yes, I *know* it's been along time but I have many other things demanding my brain space. Upcoming college finals, papers, tests, finals, the Sims, papers, finals…

You get the point. But I'm back now! LTOMG!

I don't own the x-men. Duh!

Beginner's Guide to Crazy Symbol Thingies:

** = telepathy

~~ = thought

**bold**** = emphasis**

*********************

"Like, this is totally insane." Kitty folded her arms indignantly. 

~I can't **believe** they're making me do this. ~

*Kitty…*

The girl in question glared at Jean. "Like, stay out of my head!" she snapped.

"Kitty, come on. The Professor says that this is very important to our training."

"Yeah but the professor, like, doesn't have to waste his time and hang around freaks-"

*Kitty! *

Kitty jumped at the shocked voice in her head. She glanced over at Jean who stood with her hands on her hips in the dimly lit hallway. Her expression was not one of anger, but one of deep sadness. 

"Kitty," she started softly. 

"Are you like, **trying** to wear my name out?"

"Listen Kitty. If the professor didn't want to be bothered with so called 'freaks', where would you be today?"

The younger girl's mouth hung slightly agape as she pondered the rhetorical semi-question Jean had just raised. 

"Well like, I'd be…"

Jean smiled slightly. 

Kitty's insides seethed at the little all-knowing grin. 

~ERR! You think you know everything! ~

"I'd like, be…Uh! It doesn't matter! The point is I'm like, about to walk into a room with like, a highly contagious like, furry blue weirdo!"

"Kitty, if you can't do this out of pity or the desire for knowledge, do it for Rogue. We both know she's trying to cope with a lot. Getting close to him is just her way of connecting with a life she just found out she missed, with a mother she can't understand."

Jean's words of wisdom knocked a few stones out of Kitty's wall of stubborn indignance. She felt slightly deflated. But she also felt cheated of her precious time as well as apprehensive.

"Whatever." 

~He's still one of the bad guys…~ 

She set off down the hall to the med ward. Jean sighed. It was going to take a long time to get used to him, maybe longer for some than others.

*Just remember Kitty, one day you could be fighting beside him. *

*Yeah, like, in my nightmares. *

~Stupid I-know-it-all-and-I-know-it Jean, stupid you-have-to-train-for-this-kind-of-thing Logan, stupid psycho-super-weird-freaky-furry-blue- ~

Her annoyance ridden thoughts were cut short as she entered the med ward. She flashed a superfluous grin at Dr. McCoy and began to fiddle with her hair.

"Well, I'm here for like, my mandatory prison sentence."

Beast just chuckled at her sarcasm and led her over to small area in the far corner of the room. Here a portion of the lab had been devoted to a hastily erected confinement area. Kitty rolled her eyes as Dr. McCoy pulled aside the cloth wall and beckoned her in. She hesitated.

"It's perfectly safe Kitty, we've all taken the vaccine."

She knew by 'we' he meant her, but the threat of catching a potentially deadly disease was the least of her worries. 

~ '**It**' may be perfectly safe, but how do I know '**he**' is. ~

Despite her misgivings, she entered. 

She'd hardened her heart to this moment for hours, but nothing had prepared her. She gasped.

He looked **awful**.

Beside the bed Rogue had fallen into a fitful sleep, still clutching his hand.

On the bed however, the boy lay absolutely still, his chest barely rising and falling. And doing so only with help from a machine, she noted. His eyes were squeezed shut and the areas around them were dark, almost purple through his fur. He didn't look half as dangerous as she remembered.

"Is he dying?" she whispered, forgetting her ditzy valley girl act and her former prejudice.

~Well, maybe I feel just a little bad for him. ~

Hank sighed, "Well, one can never be sure with infectious diseases such as this. I feel he is still in the danger zone, but his condition is stable."

Kitty could do nothing but stare at the profusion of tubes, both IV and breathing, and the monitoring devices all over the skinny teenager.

~What was his name again? Kurt or something? God, that must totally suck, being covered in all that stuff. ~ 

She edged a bit closer and studied the strangely shaped hand clasped in Rogue's. 

~Ick, he's so…furry…~

Her eyes moved to his neck. 

"What's with the collar?"

Hank turned from the IV he'd been adjusting.

"Oh, that's a Inhibitor, it blocks him from using his powers."

"But Logan said the virus like, inhibits that stuff anyway." 

"Yes, well as he recovers the effect of the pathogen on his body will lessen. As he gets better, so to speak, so will his teleportation. Can't have him popping out of here before he's ready can we?" The man chuckled again.

Beside them Rogue began to stir. Kitty jumped at the sudden movement.

"Well, I think you've seen what this virus can do to a mutant, I think you can go." Hank's voice was not really an offer but a gentle command. Kitty nodded and slipped out. She knew what he really meant was, 'Rogue doesn't really want anyone around.'

Kitty wandered back down the hallway towards the elevator.

~I guess I do kinda feel bad for him…~

*************************

Yes I know it's short. Like I said, I'm keeping them brief on purpose. And also I don't feel like writing more tonight.

As always, review! And then review again! And again!


	15. Author's note

Alright fine. Maybe I'll finish it or at least conclude it if I get the ambition and the time. You people are too persuasive. 


	16. Last Note

Hello everyone! I just wanted to put something up saying that I'm definitely not going to be finishing this. Sorry to disappoint everyone but between college and running an X-men Evolution RPG full time I just don't really have the time or interest to pursue it. So...this is it I'm afraid.


End file.
